CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161 - FORCING THEIR HANDS

The priests in front of him motioned for him to step forward again.

Logan snapped out of his thoughts immediately.

’I have to step forward,’ he thought, forcing a calm smile on. ’If I don’t, it’ll ruin my reputation in front of the entire world.’

He could still dig his way out of being the scapegoat simply by winning the war, which he needed to do anyway.

But if he stepped back here? He’d make a fool out of the Imperial Church, which would likely make them his enemies.

’Facing both of the Church and The Holy Cross Guild at the same time is impossible for me,’ he thought, stepping onto the ceremonial podium.

As he stepped forward, the lights set on the podium hit him. The sound of the crowd’s applause entered his ears, sending chills down his spine.

The pope gestured with his large golden staff for Logan to stand beside him while wearing a thin smile on his face.

Logan walked over stiffly, feeling the countless stares evaluating him like livestock.

The pope placed a hand on his shoulder for all to see. "Let all here remember that it was Logan Mercer who stood against darkness when others turned away, who refused to bow to those who whisper in the shadows. His resolve will stand as a symbol to all who cherish the light."

Another wave of applause sounded through the church, alongside many whispers and calculated looks.

’Every one of them is deciding what to do with me,’ he thought, keeping his expression neutral. ’Whether I can be a future ally, asset... or enemy. It’s all decided here.’

Logan glanced at the cameras above the important guests, knowing that after today, his face would be known all across the globe.

The pope raised his staff again, his voice silencing the whispers.

"Despite his youth," the pope said, his tone solemn but prideful, "Logan Mercer has shown a courage that many twice his age lack. In the face of danger, he chose not the safer road, but the righteous one. When others hesitated, he acted at great risk to himself, to protect what is just."

The pope turned toward him with a faint, almost approving nod.

"Let him speak for himself, so you may know the resolve behind the name."

Logan felt all eyes turn to him, an invisible pressure pressing down on him.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he took a step forward.

It was as if time slowed down around him.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Livia stand beside her father, her saddened expression only visible from her lips.

’This is it,’ he thought, eyes locking on the crowd.

Logan’s mind worked on overtime, until suddenly, he started smiling slightly.

He took a deep breath, meeting the stares without flinching.

"I won’t pretend I planned for any of this. But when the moment came, I made the choice I believed was right because not doing so would have cost countless innocent lives."

He paused, seeing the pope’s eyes widen beside him. "I did what had to be done. I’ll keep doing it, no matter how difficult, if it means protecting what matters."

Logan’s eyes swept across the room. "I ask of you, everyone in this room, and everyone at home, to do the same."

No one reacted, leaving the church in complete silence.

Many eyes narrowed, locking onto Logan with curiosity and amusement.

Even the pope beside him was lost for words for a moment, never having expected a young man to speak this clearly with the pressure of millions of watching people on his shoulders.

Then, a slow clap came from the middle of the room, breaking the silence.

Slowly, people joined one after another, some reluctant, others out of approval, but it didn’t matter to Logan.

He took a step back again, smiling as he glanced at the pope.

’That should be good,’ he thought.

He’d made sure he called everyone in the room out, which would force people to move against the Holy Cross Guild to avoid losing their reputation with the Church.

This also prevented people from focusing on taking him and his company out.

’And in that time, I will grow stronger alongside my company,’ he thought, smiling. ’By the time the Holy Cross Guild is gone and people have time to glance at me, I’ll have the strength to deal with them myself.’

While it might seem easy to take out the Holy Cross Guild, in reality it wasn’t.

They too had firmly rooted believers and many supporters; even if some of their strongest people were murdered, it would only be a setback at worst.

The pope finally recovered, turning his smile to the crowd as he took a step forward to claim back the spotlight.

"And there you have it. The voice of youth unafraid to speak truth before the Divine." He raised his staff once more, signaling the next part of the ceremony. "May such conviction spread through all corners of the faithful."

As the pope’s voice echoed through the room, Logan used the opportunity to step back from the center.

His eyes fell on Livia.

A soft smile was visible under her veil as she gave a small nod.

’Right,’ Logan thought, grinning internally. ’He wanted me to pick a side, right?’

What better place to do so than right in front of millions of people.

Logan walked down the line of Virtues and their inheritors, feeling the immense pressure from them as they judged him.

The Virtue of Temperance watched him approach, a flicker of uncertainty and hesitation flashing past his face before returning to calmness again.

Logan stopped in front of them, nodding his head respectfully to Temperance before smiling at Livia.

The gazes of all the Virtues locked onto him, each of them clearly aware of his affinity’s ranking.

Without hesitation, Logan took a step forward, standing beside Livia as he turned to look at the crowd.

Temperance’s gaze burned in his back while Livia took a step aside to make some more space for him.

’I’m not moving,’ Logan thought, smiling.

Then, the pope’s staff struck the ceremonial floor, attracting his attention and Temperance’s attention instantly.

"Today is not a day to honor one alone," the pope declared, his voice echoing heavily through the hall. "It is a day to recognize all who have chosen the light over shadow, those who have placed themselves between evil and the innocent."

From the same heavy doors Logan had just walked from, several hunters in ceremonial clothes wearing the Church’s sigils stepped forward.

They walked forth calmly, their faces expressionless.

The first to step forward was a broad-shouldered man in silver armor, his cloak embroidered with streaks of lightning.

"Champion Serath Vonn," the pope announced, "who braved the dungeon in the Depths of Andrial and returned with the relic of Saint Eryndor."

The man bowed low, his eyes scanning the crowd coldly before moving on.

Behind him came a slim woman dressed in deep green, the hilts of twin blades peeking out from behind her back.

"Lady Kirelle Thane," the pope continued, "who led the Purge of the Dutch Fields, breaking the curse that had claimed it for decades."

One by one, more champions of the Church were called forward, each of them welcomed with warm applause from the crowd.

’These people... I’ve heard of all of them before,’ Logan thought, clapping. ’They are all people who are already well known for their actions.’

Each name reminded him that this wasn’t just a ceremony, but a parade for the Church to show off their favored weapons to the outside world.

When the line of people had finally been completed, the pope spread his arms wide open.

"These are the shields of the faithful, the swords of the righteous," he said, his eyes scanning the room. "Each has faced the darkness and returned, not for glory, but for the safety of our people."

Logan kept his expression calm, though he could feel some of the champions staring at him.

"Today, you have witnessed the courage of the faithful," he said, his tone deepening, "but courage alone is not enough to safeguard our world. Faith must be strengthened, not just in our warriors, but in every soul present."

He turned toward the Virtues, his staff tapping the marble floor with a sharp echo.

"And so," he continued, "we shall invoke the Blessing of the Seven, a light that shall reach far beyond these walls."

The pope lowered his hands again, taking a few steps back from the podium.

Low whispers rippled through the hall as an uneasy feeling settled in Logan’s stomach.

’Why are they all so excited?’ he thought, glancing at the anticipation in the eyes of the most important people in the world.

Suddenly, Livia’s father stepped forward.

Then another Virtue, and another... until all seven of the Virtues gathered around the ceremonial pedestal the pope had been preaching from.

A chill ran down Logan’s spine.

’Whatever is about to happen... it will be big.’